


A Hint of Aphrodisiac

by AmuletRebel



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Byleth is kinda oblivious but kinda isn't, College Life, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flirting, Humor, Mutual Pining, Night Club AU, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:27:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23344705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmuletRebel/pseuds/AmuletRebel
Summary: Byleth just wanted to get through college. She had a good job, top scores, friends she could tolerate six days out of seven. But she didn’t imagine her life would take such a sharp turn when she was invited to a nightclub one weekend and met a handsome bartender. Now the world around her is spiraling into a strange mix of secrets, midnight rendezvous, and emotions she never imagined having.
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 9
Kudos: 52





	A Hint of Aphrodisiac

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm doing this. I always wondered what Abyss would fit best as in a modern setting, if it was an establishment. And night club came to the front of my mind.

“I want to go home.” Byleth stood outside the location Hilda had asked her—it was more like pestered until she gave in—to meet up at. She was never one for the night life. As her friend liked to so frequently remind her, she’d rather be in her dorm room on nights like these, studying and watching pre-recorded wrestling tournaments. Was that so wrong? Apparently, in the eyes of her girl friends, it was a fate worse than death.

“But the fun’s just beginning!” Hilda cheered with a wide grin, looking her form up and down. She flushed and glanced away, bringing her hand up to tug her new top down a little. “Glad to see you dressed up in the outfit I put together for you. No offense, but you can’t exactly go clubbing in the stuff you normally wear.”

“Oh, be gentle with her,” Dorothea giggled from right behind Hilda. “You have a lot of stunning clothes, definitely. They’re just always quite…oh, what’s the word…chaotic. Not the most practical for spending hours dancing and catching the eye of a handsome stranger before becoming an eternal mystery in the strobe lights.”

“Can we just go inside?” Byleth asked, her fingers fiddling with the waistband of her tiny shorts.

If her father saw her now, he’d definitely have an aneurysm and then try to lock her inside the house until graduation. He was never an overbearing parent per se, but even he would have reservations about her friends’ clothing choices. It was a simple navy halter top that stopped just above her navel, the sharp V of the neckline exposing a generous amount of cleavage that still left enough to the imagination. They also allowed her to compromise by wearing her favorite lace tights with the light denim shorts along with her white high tops. She tugged a little on the simple choker around her neck. Unfortunately, the ensemble wasn’t so great for a spring night’s cool weather.

“Alright, alright. Everyone else should be inside!” Hilda linked her arm with the reluctant young woman and pulled her down the stone steps leading to the nightclub. Her eyes glanced upward to see the neon sign she forgot to read. In elegant cursive letters shining deep purple in the dark night was a single word: _Abyss_.

As her pink-haired friend pulled in with Dorothea holding the door, Byleth had to blink a few times to adjust her sight to the unfamiliar lights. “I wasn’t expecting this…”

The place was definitely not what she initially thought thanks to their portrayal in movies and what she looked up online. It was admittedly classier. There was the typical DJ set-up elevated a little above the large dance floor, white fluorescent tiles lined up nicely in a big square. A.elegant chandelier hung above the scene, its gems glittering against the moving deep purple strobe lights traveling along the space. Plush booths lined the walls, and some even had velvet curtains you could draw shut to give someone a break from the flashing lights or some…privacy. She didn’t want to think about it. A set of spiral stairs blocked off by a bright yellow chain led to what Byleth could only assume was a VIP lounge from her vantage point. She couldn’t tell how it looked any different from the first floor.

“Ah, there’s our lady of the hour!” The young woman’s ear perked up as she turned to the voice shouting over the techno music. She faced Claude as he approached the group, drink in hand. “Damn. Looks like I owe Hilda 20 gold. I bet she couldn’t get you away from your textbooks.” He let out a playful huff and shook his head.

“But I did and now we’re here to party it up! Come on!”

She knew there was nothing she could say to stop the energetic pink-haired girl at this point, so she allowed her to tug at her arm and weave through the crowds like the expert she probably was.

“Glad to see you made it,” Ingrid said, sitting in one of the booths with Petra and Caspar. She figured the young woman wasn’t the type to revel in partying. So the major reason Ingrid would be here…

“Well, well. Another fair maiden has arrived.” The collective groans were enough to tell her who said that. Tilting her head, she noticed Sylvain and Felix approaching the group. The latter held a scowl on his face, probably because he was dragged along by the red-head. “I gotta say, Byleth. You clean up _really_ nice. Maybe you and I could hit the dance floor—ouch!” Sylvain doubled over a bit when Felix’s elbow met his sternum.

“I think I’ll get a drink first,” she said, looking in the direction of the bar area. Despite having the strangely high alcohol tolerance of her father, she wasn’t much of a heavy drinker. So she figured something lighter would suffice. Also, she was usually the one to drag her friends’ drunk asses back to the dorms without getting caught.

“Well, if you see one of those handsome strangers on your way, put a good word in for me,” Dorothea cooed, taking a seat next to Ingrid to enjoy the atmosphere.

Byleth nodded, her bangs swaying in front of her eyes a little before turning and making her way along the edge of the dance floor for a safer trip. She took a seat on one of the black leather bar stools, crossing her legs as she observed all the bottles of liquor lined along the shelves. A sigh she wasn’t aware she’d been holding softly passed her lips. She didn’t even know what this place had and she was clueless when it came to cocktails and stuff. That was more her father’s department. Resigning herself to probably ordering water tonight, Byleth instead stared at her face reflected in the table’s sleek marble, tucking a loose strand of navy locks behind her ear.

“Hey there, friend.” Her eyes darted up to see who was talking to her, her fingers curling instinctively in case it was someone who couldn’t take a hint. However, that wasn’t the case. The first thing she noticed were the lavender eyes with painted lids staring at her like it would reveal the secrets to her soul. Then there was that smirk. Was that lip gloss? “What’ll it be?”

Oh. She took a moment to observe him further. His black button-up was rolled up at the sleeves and a couple of the buttons popped open to reveal his pale, slender neck. A pitch black chain hung from the breast pocket. But the most telling sign was probably the silver wolf enamel pin on his collar.

“Do you always stare so openly?” he remarked, leaning an arm on the counter. “If you insist on it, you’ll have to give me something in return.” He brushed his lilac bangs aside, staring at her just as intently, like he was searching for something. However, it seemed he came up empty and leaned away.

“What do you recommend?” Byleth asked, having realized he was indeed the bartender of the establishment.

“Well, the Ashen Wolf is pretty popular around here. It’s this place’s symbol and all. If you’re in the mood for something a little harder, Umbral Beast might be up your alley.”

“I guess I’ll have an Ashen Wolf then.”

She watched him nod, that sly grin still plastered to his lips. “Coming right up, friend.” Despite being here on the whim of her friends, Byleth was a little intrigued by the skill he had when mixing the drink together. She had a front row seat to the show as he skillfully tossed the shaker around and poured syrups and various ingredients into a tall, thin glass. She watched the light gray liquid swirl around with a purple gradient before coming to a standstill. She even noticed the glass was rimmed with sugar, a black sword-shaped skewer with some fruit sticking out as well.

“There we are.” He handed the glass over to her, his grip lingering long enough so their fingers grazed together as she took it.

Byleth took a small breath and tilted the glass back on her lips, tasting the surprisingly refreshing drink. It was a nice balance of sweet with a slight bitter kick to bring out all the flavors. It distracted her from the dull sting of alcohol traveling down her throat.

“Aren’t you adorable,” the bartender commented, his lavender eyes piercing her. However, whatever he was trying to find by doing so was once again in vain as his mouth dropped to a thin line. “You don’t strike me as a party girl.”

Byleth simply nodded. She had learned from her father that guys were intimidated by groups in these situations. Strength in numbers. “I’m here with friends.”

“Hey. Yuribird.” He looked away from her to address the one calling him. Yuribird? Odd name. “Dark Flier and Valkyrie needed for Table 10. Then I heard it’s your break time.” She wore almost all black just like the bartender, but she was in a crop top and skirt instead of a collared shirt and pants. The wolf pin on her white jacket was a clear indicator that she also worked there.

“Well, lucky me then.” His eyes returned to her as she continued to sip at her drink, careful not to overindulge and get tipsy. Someone needed to be the designated driver. What she didn’t expect was for him to continue talking, multitasking between looking at her and fixing the drinks in two different glasses. “Say, friend. Let’s not deny there’s quite the spark between us. How about you join me for a dance, yeah?” The drinks were finished and passed the drinks off to the redhead waitress, who rolled her eyes as she placed them onto a tray and turned to leave.

“I don’t really dance,” Byleth answered, the bluntness in her tone a usual sign of finality for many. She set her now empty glass down, sticking the skewer into her mouth to eat the fruit before tossing it back into the glass with a soft clink.

The man, Yuribird, chuckled warmly. But she could tell in an instant that it wasn’t a purely genuine laugh. More like a sound to lull you into a false sense of security before lashing out to strike. “Well, I’ll show you a few moves. Nothing too crazy. I promise I’ll show you a fun time.” The way he said that last line while gazing at her made her feel odd—it was even stranger that it wasn’t a bad kind of odd—in the pit of her stomach and she looked away for a moment to fully assess her next words.

“Your eyes and mouth are saying two separate things,” she ended up blurting. It seemed she was right on the money as he blinked a few times.

Then he laughed again. “I guess I’m being a little greedy then.”

He removed his apron, tossing it under the bar before coming around to greet her by her seat. He gently lifted her hand to coax her out of her seat. Byleth stood up, following his movements, her free hand adjusting her choker in a move of self-consciousness. As soon as her feet touched the dance floor, a new song began. She knew it was some electro swing, but couldn’t remember the name. He took both her hand in his, guiding her through the steps. He was pretty experienced on his feet, she noted, seeing how effortlessly he shuffled and glided. She moved her hips to the beat, pushing and pulling with him, their feet entangled in the energetic dance.

His lavender eyes still bore into her through the exchange, his mouth once again curling into a smirk. If she hadn’t seen him frown a while ago, she would’ve assumed that was a permanent fixture on his face. They picked up the pace as the song gained some traction, moving in a mix of salsa and freestyle. He let go of one hand and gave her a little twirl, surprising her and quickly trying to move her feet to avoid falling. She succeeded, but she found her back pressed to his chest.

“Can’t dance, huh?”

“Never said I couldn’t,” Byleth retorted.

She listened to him chuckle again, feeling the rumble in his chest against her spine. “Touché.” He twirled her back around, taking her hands again. This time, whenever he tried to pull that stunt, she was ready. They continued through the songs, though she lost count of how many they danced to. She was grateful she wasn’t wearing a skirt. It would’ve fluttered too high at the pace they were going.

“Ugh! I turn my back and here I find you! Have you no shame, Yuri?”

So his name was Yuri? That made more sense. Yuri released her with a frown on his glossed lips. Byleth turned to see a woman—she noticed the same wolf pin on her black ruffled blouse, meaning this lady was also a worker—with blond and purple hair glaring at the bartender. His hands let go of hers, striking the air with a sweep of his hand as if that would silence her.

“Knock it off, Constance. I get it.” He turned back to her, that charming smile back on his face. “Well, looks like I need to get back, as my co-worker so lovingly insists. Maybe can back around, yeah? Oh, right. I never got your name, friend.”

She contemplated giving it until she finally decided fuck it. “Byleth.”

“Byleth. Well, see ya around, friend. And welcome to Abyss.” He waved to her as he left the dance floor with his co-worker saying things that became incoherent over the music, but obviously Yuri was having none of it

She had to get back to her friends anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn. Now I wanna practice mixing drinks to see if I can actually make the drinks I'm writing about. It would be kinda cool, but we're in the middle of this whole self-isolation business. Plus I don't think I'd be any good at it since I don't drink often.
> 
> I imagine the song they danced to was 1941 ft. Virian by Klaypex. It's a serious bop.
> 
> Anyway, feedback is appreciated!


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